Murder by spotlight

Murder by spotlight

It's happening again. The media are stalking some new prey. There's blood in the water and they are closing in for the kill. Some of you may say that this is ridiculous, the media doesn't kill anyone. Perhaps Marilyn Monroe, Princess Diana, Anna Nicole Smith and some others may disagree with you.

Being pursued, hounded, watched, spied upon and scrutinized doing even your most routine and normal actions over a prolonged period has to have a marked effect on a person's mental well-being and behavior. Indeed, such effects have been well documented in groups such as survivors of the Holocaust and prisoners of war. How can it be that we, as a society, have missed this relationship when it comes to celebrities in stressful situations? Can it be that we actually don't see it or do we just refuse to care? After all these people have courted the cameras before to achieve their celebrity status! This is the same mentality that says a prostitute or stripper can't possibly be raped by virtue of the nature of their professions and it's a mentality that has no place in modern society.

Why have celebrities become media whores according to the rest of society, forced to perform at any and every time someone else chooses? What makes us think we have the right or the need to see how a celebrity dresses when they go to the market? Furthermore, why should anyone else get to criticize and comment on how a celebrity looks during those private moments? Those times are not performances. They are not intended for public consumption. What happened to “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness”? Do these cherished rights not apply to someone in the public eye?

Furthermore, there seem to be several double standards at play here! A President admits to marital infidelity and nobody says he should step down or recuse himself from making speeches but, when a golf pro makes the same admission, members of the media begin to comment that he should concentrate on his sex addiction rehab and stop pursuing his livelihood. Beauty queens are cashiered for youthful indiscretions in men's magazines prior to their pageants but there is no mention of any need to forgive other public figures who consorted with known traitors and terrorists in their younger days.

Wake up, America! If you don't think the major media outlets are calling the shots, then you just aren't paying any attention. Look at the way that our opinions are shaped relative to the items cited above! Why was it okay for E!and Inside Edition to hound poor Anna Nicole Smith to death? Shouldn't there be some sort of limits put on this type of media feeding frenzy? Some may say that the media didn't force Anna Nicole to commit suicide! I say that type of thinking carries a distinct aroma of bovine residue and though the media played a huge role there was one other group that was even more culpable.

Those “inquiring minds” that the tabloids and tabloid programs claim as consumers are the most to blame. That's right! Every time someone buys one of those tabloid rags or turns on Inside Edition or TMZ (God, help us!) they are feeding the beast that is stalking other people to death! Isn't it time that we all come to our senses before there is another tragedy? How many more have to die in the name of entertainment? I think it would save a lot of time and be a lot more honest if we would just bring back the Circus Maximus. At least the Romans weren't hypocrites about their love for watching people suffer!